“I seek to understand systemic injustices and identify pathways toward more just and equitable futures.”
Understanding the Cultural Politics of Democracy
Democracy is often understood as a set of rules, institutions, and procedures. My work looks beyond this “material” view to explore democracy as a cultural and symbolic force — one that can be used in paradoxical ways. I study how the meanings attached to democracy shape what politics are seen as possible, permissible, desirable, or undesirable, and how these meanings inform political action. This includes examining how reactionary actors use the language and symbols of democracy to promote anti-feminist, anti-LGBTIQ+, and racist agendas, as well as how progressive movements and civil society harness democracy to advance equity and inclusion.
Resisting Antifeminism and Anti-LGBTIQ+ Politics
As a work package leader on the Horizon Europe project RESIST , I explore how feminist and queer communities across Europe experience and respond to growing anti-gender movements. Leading the German case study, I examine how reactionary politics affect individuals, feminist and LGBTIQ+ communities and democracy in Germany. I am particularly interested in how communities can build sustainable resistances and care for their members.
Community-based PArticipatory Action Research
I am interested in collaborative and participatiory action research. I co-led a community-based participatory action research project with rainbow families in the rural Alpine Canton of Valais. Capacity Building for Rainbow Families in Switzerland and Beyond sought to better understand the families’ everyday challenges and needs. Beyond generating knowledge about the unique situation of the local families, the project aimed to create political change and ensure that rainbow families become regionally heard and respected.
Making Space for Lesbians in Policy and Politics
Commissioned by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, I authored the study Advancing Liveable Lives for Lesbians in Europe, which highlights the diverse realities and challenges faced by lesbians across Europe. The report, aimed at practitioners, offers concrete policy recommendations and features in-depth case studies on Germany, Poland, Greece, Sweden, and EU law, contributed by leading experts.
Unpacking Europe’s “Post-Racial” Illusion
In my monograph Race in Post-Racial Europe, I traced how race and racism continue to shape cultural and political life in Europe, even when they’re denied. I particularly looked at how racism affects debates about European gender norms. In this theoretical book, I demonstrated how women of colour are targeted by racist and sexist stereotypes in media and policy.
Gender, Sexuality, Race and Dance Cultures
I wrote my PhD about gender norms and heteronormativity in salsa dancing communities. Through interviews in Switzerland and the UK, I examined how ideas about gender, sexuality and race shape how dancers feel when they are in salsa spaces. Through the experiences of queer salsa dancers, I showed that exclusion is a reality in leisure spaces. I also demonstrated how ideas about race shape how dancers imagine Europeanness versus Latinidad.